Can your feeling that your church is right be proven from a reliable proven source such as the Bible, history or archaeology? If you are interested, please read the articles on my web page that address the validity of the claims of Mormonism. This material is the result of years of study and comparing the teachings of Mormonism with the Bible, history, and archaeology. Mormonism fails every reliable test it is put to.

Can the beliefs of Mormonism, be proven to be accurate and if you believe they can, please explain how can you prove it? I suggest that there is nothing wrong with putting what we believe to an honest objective test. If it is correct, then the evidence will bear it out; or if false that will be shown too.

Repeated the Bible says that God made the heavens and the earth. That clearly means He created the universe and everything in it. Yet, Mormonism teaches that the god they worship "heavenly father" was once a man who was born into the universe on some distant planet to the "heavenly father" of that planet as a spirit child. He then went to the earth of that planet and by good works and being faithful to the gospel of his heavenly father, he died, and was resurrected to the Celestial heaven and there was appointed to become a god. He now as a god, came to earth and with his wives, began to produce spirit children in heaven. These spirit children were allowed to come to the earth as mortals where if they are faithful enough to the LDS church, and its gospel, they to can after their deaths be resurrected to the Celestial heaven and there they too came become a god. This is a brief description of Mormon belief, but it is factual and what the LDS churches. The god of Mormonism was first a man, born into a universe that already existed and afterwards became a god. This is the LDS doctrine of "eternal progression." The LDS god could not be the God of the Bible, because the LDS god was first a man, then became a god, and was born into a universe that already existed.

Sir, that is not the God of the Bible....who created the heavens and earth and plainly says He was never a man. So the core teaching of the LDS church is based on an untruth and it is totally dishonest to claim the Mormons worship the God of the Bible or His ONLY begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

Sir, I have studied Mormon doctrine from LDS official literature and have a library of over 4000 reference works. I do not use the anti-Mormon literature for my research. I also have lived in Utah now 20 years....so I know a lot of LDS people, many of whom are my friends.

My articles are factual and accurately represent what the LDS church teaches. The question for Mormons is simple....will you believe in the God of the Bible who created you and to whom you are responsible.....or the man-become-god that does not exist that the LDS church worships?

[Note] This person responded saying I was still mistaken, that there are many universes and earths and their god created this one?!?!? I responded that the Bible never mentions over universes or worlds. That God created the universe and earth we live in that is the same universe and earth they came their god created. Even it there are other universes and worlds (of course there are not) it does not explain how their god was born a man into a universe that already existed and yet be the creator of it as God. Further the Bible indicates God exist outside of our material universe being a spirit and living in a spirit world.

Answer: The LDS church is a false church...a Christian cult. Joseph Smith of course was a false prophet. They use baptism to try and claim a false creditability for their church. Mormons believe that baptism is necessary work for a person to be considered worthy to go to the what they call the Celestial heaven. Salvation to them is not the same as the Bible teaches. Their "gospel" is called "eternal progression" which means they began as intelligences out in the Universe somewhere, were then born in heaven to the god man-become-god of earth and his heavenly family. As "spirit children" of the god of their planet they were allowed to come to earth so they could get a human body, be tested and if found worthy by joining the LDS church, doing good works so they could be resurrected to the Celestial heaven and become gods themselves. Thus baptism is necessary to join the LDS church and for their being worthy to go to their Celestial heaven.

Joseph Smith baptized himself and then others. That is not a biblical baptism. No where in the Bible is their an example of anyone baptizing himself. In fact that act would destroy the meaning of baptism being symbol of showing the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The one who is baptized is placed by someone else in the water and immersed under the water. A person who is truly saved does not save themselves by their act of baptism. Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly teaches that. So Smith baptizing himself shows the LDS church's baptism is unscriptural and their "authority" is based on a false act of their prophet who misled them. God does not approve of any man doing anything contrary to what He has stated in His word. Joseph Smith's act shows the LDS church began with a false teaching and he had no authority to change what God clearly states in His Word the Bible.

But baptism is not the real issue. Who is the god of Mormonism is the issue which can be easily dealt with.

I have found it is best in dealing with the unsaved and Mormons if you ask them questions which they can think through for themselves. I do not attempt to tell them, but asking leading questions that will show them the problem with their beliefs. I would suggest you first ask the Mormons if believe in and worship the God of the Bible our Creator. Next ask them if they believe that their god is an exalted man of flesh and bone who lives in heaven with his many wives having "spirit children" who are allowed to come to earth and receive human bodies when humans have children.

I would ask them to they believe that their heavenly father god was born on some planet out in the universe as a man? This man then, being faithful to the god of his planet died, was resurrected to the Celestial heaven their there because of his good works and faithfulness to his god was exalted to godhood. Ask them does their church teach that and they believe it.

Then has them to read Genesis 1 which is the account of God's creation of the earth and universe.

Ask them on what day did God make man. Then ask them how their god could be the god of the Bible, because the God of the Bible our Creator did not make man until the sixth day of creation. Ask them how their god could be the God of the Bible when their god was born on some planet out in the universe as a MAN and then become a god and then supposedly created man?! I think they will see the problem.

After you show them the foolishness and unbiblical beliefs of the LDS church...share with them the truth Gospel and how a person is truly saved. Destroying the LDS false teaching is easy, but worthless if we do not show them the truth of how God loves them and Christ died for their sins.

Answer:
Thank you for writing and yes, yours is an honest question. My answer is, I know I am not a wolf, but rather I am a saved child of God because what I believe, have faith in and practice is what God's word, the Bible teaches. I know based on God's word the Bible that my sins are forgiven and when I die I will go to heaven. That is not based on my earning or meriting salvation, but on God's promises to those who will believe His word the truth. I am trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross alone from my salvation. I am not trusting in my church, baptism, or any work that I have done. God plainly states I cannot earn my salvation "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) Therefore because I have believed and am fully trusting solely in Jesus Christ suffering and death for my sins....I know I am saved. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10)

The wolf in sheep's clothing claims to be a sheep, but is not. Matthew 7:21-23 plainly states that there are those who profess to follow the Lord Jesus but in fact do not know Him.

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:21-23)

Did you note that Jesus said those who would go to heaven are those who do the will of God the Father. Jesus plainly stated God's desire in the Gospel of John:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. . . . He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:16-21, 36)

Being a good person, supporting the family, joining a church, doing rituals, and works, etc does not make one a Christian or a child of God. The child of God believes God's word and bases his salvation and life one what God has said.

I could go into the many fallacies and unbiblical teachings of the LDS, but I think you already know most of them. The main problem is that the god of the LDS church is not our Creator. My article at http://bible-truth.org/differentgod.htm explains the problem with the LDS teachings. No argument, just fact based on the official LDS churches doctrine.

I also have an article at http://bible-truth.org/gospel.html which explain the true Gospel that the New Testament teaches. I would ask you to read each passages cited for yourself and compare that to the LDS gospel.

It is very difficult for me to explain to others that their faith is not what God has given us and they are believing in a false gospel. I try really hard to be respectful and to present what the New Testament teaches as tactful as I can. But I have to tell people the truth as God has revealed it to us. That is what a friend and concerned person would do.

I know you have many questions. I have lived and ministered in Utah for over 22 years and I have a deep and sincere care for the LDS people. I wish them to see God's truth and truly be saved by trusting in God's word, and letting God forgive their sins and give them eternal life.

If you are interested I would be glad to respectfully show you what the Bible teaches so you can compare the LDS faith with God's word. Please write if you have further questions or comments.

Answer:
It is difficult to "prove" to the Mormon that people did not pre-exist before they were born. The reason is that it is a part of their belief in what they term "eternal progression." Eternal progression teaches that man has always existed, but began the journey to protentially becoming gods themselves in a pre-mortal existence. They teach man became first as an "intelligence" without a body or substance somewhere out in the universe. Next the "intelligence" was given a spiritual body when the god of the earth, who was once a man, had relationship with one of his mother gods in heaven and a spirit child was born. This spirit child then was allowed by "heavenly father" to come to earth and get a human body. If the now mortal human does enough works and is faithful to the LDS church, when the die they go to the "celestial heaven" and their if worthy will be exalted to godhood and given a planet in the universe to rule, just like their "heavenly father" who is the god of earth. Thus they "progress" step by step to godhood and beyond. In fact the god of this earth, they believe can become a greater god....or can become a lesser god if he did not rule well.

This is their teaching of "eternal progression." I think you can see it is difficult to deal with a "fairy tale" which they have been taught since birth. Further there is no biblical support for such a teaching.

They refer to Jeremiah who God choose to be a prophet while he was in the womb. However, the verse does not say or even hint that Jeremiah existed before he was born. (Jer. 1:4f) The verse is dealing with God's foreknowledge not of pre-existence. God only says He chose Jeremiah to be a prophet before he was born. None of the Bible references the LDS use addresses pre-existence.

I have several article on my web site at http://bible-truth.org/MormonismPage.html that address in detail Mormon beliefs and what the Bible teaches.

In dealing with Mormons it is important to know what they believe. They will use the same Christian terms we do, but will totally different means which can be confusing.

I have learned to only deal with one truth....that is who is God. Dealing with their other false beliefs get you nowhere. I have an article at http://bible-truth.org/differentgod.htm#A%20Different%20God which explains that although they claim they believe in and worship the God of the Bible, that is impossible because of their teachings and beliefs about who God is.

Answer: I maybe every year or so get a letter such as yours which maligns my articles such as you did. First, it is clear that your research is flawed as well as your knowledge of the LDS religion. You do know know enough about the teachings of Mormonism to know where and why it has been taught that Jesus was married. I will try and help you to understand. First, to be a god a man, must be married according the their faith. An unmarried man cannot take the endowments which is the ceremony performed in their temples in which a man holding the Melchizedek priesthood, has his wife and children married to him for "all time an eternity." By going through this ceremony the man can become a god of his own planet and his wife will be his goddess. Thus they can become a heavenly family, if when man dies and is worthy enough to received exhortation and be appointed to godhood.

The reason then they taught that Jesus was married was as I stated. He could not be a god unless he had a wife.....so though the Bible never even hints at such a heresy, they precluded he must have been married. By the way, there or two purposes for the LDS temples. One is to baptized in proxy for the dead. They teach that all non-LDS people go to a place they call the spirit prison after death. They then get living Mormons to be baptized in proxy for the dead so that the LDS missionaries can go to the and off them to join the LDS church and begin the road to "exaltation" which is their gospel. Living Mormons do works for the dead and if they do enough the can get out of the spirit prison. The second reason for the LDS temples is so the Mormons can take the endowments or what is called the Celestial marriage ceremony I spoke of above.

Today only the older Mormons or fundamentalist teach this most degrading heresy about the Lord Jesus Christ.....the reason is it is so offensive to biblical Christians who believed God's word and love our Savior.

Just so you know what the LDS church has really taught let me provide you some quotes from some of their prophets and church officials.

"The Scripture says that He, the Lord, came walking in the Temple, with His train; I do not know who they were, unless His wives and children."
- The Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses Vol. 13, p.309

"There are those in this audience who are descendants of the Lord's Twelve Apostles-and, shall I say it, yes, descendants of the Savior himself! His seed is represented in the body of these men."
- LDS First Presidency Memeber and Apostle George Q. Cannon, Solemn Assembly in the Salt Lake Temple, July 2, 1899, Meeting Notes Utah State Historical Society, p. 376.

"Gentlemen, that is as plain as the translators, or different councils over this Scripture, dare allow it to go to the world, but the thing is there; it is told; Jesus was the bridegroom at the marriage of Cana of Galilee, and he told them what to do."

"Now there was actually a marriage; and if Jesus was not the bridegroom on that occasion, please tell who was. If any man can show this, and prove that it was not the Savior of the world, then I will acknowledge I am in error. We [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] say it was Jesus Christ who was married, to be brought into the relation whereby he could see his seed, before he was crucified. "Has he indeed passed by the nature of angels, and taken upon himself the seed of Abraham, to die without leaving a seed to bear his name on the earth?" No. But when the secret is fully out, the seed of the blessed shall be gathered in, in the last days; and he who has not the blood of Abraham flowing in his veins, who has not one particle of the Savior's in him, I am afraid is a stereotyped Gentile, who will be left out and not be gathered in the last days; for I tell you it is the chosen of God, the seed of the blessed, that shall be gathered. I do not despise to be called a son of Abraham, if he had a dozen wives; or to be called a brother, a son, a child of the Savior, if he had Mary, and Martha, and several others, as wives; and though he did cast seven devils out of one of them, it is all the same to me."

"Before the Savior died, he looked upon his own natural children, as we look upon ours; he saw his seed, and immediately afterwards he was cut off from the earth; but who shall declare his generation? They had no father to hold them in honorable remembrance; they passed into the shades of obscurity, never to be exposed to mortal eye as the seed of the blessed one. For no doubt had they been exposed to the eye of the world, those infants might have shared the same fate as the children of Jerusalem in the days of Herod, when all the children were ordered to be slain under such an age, with the hopes of slaying the infant Savior. They might have suffered by the hand of the assassin, as the sons of many kings have done who were heirs apparent to the thrones of their fathers."

- The Apostle Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses, 26 vols., 2:, p. 82, 83 "Jesus was the bridegroom at the marriage of Cana of Galilee, and he told them what to do. Now there was actually a marriage; and if Jesus was not the bridegroom on that occasion, please tell who was. If any man can show this, and prove that it was not the Savior of the world, then I will acknowledge I am in error. We say it was Jesus Christ who was married, to be brought into the relation whereby he could see his seed, before he was crucified."

- The Apostle Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 2, p. 82
"Sunday I Attended the Sabbath School Conference .... Joseph F. Smith spoke one hour & 25 minutes. He spoke upon the Marriage in Cana at Galilee. He taught Jesus was the Bridgegroom and Mary & Martha the brides. He also refered to Luke 10 ch. 38 to 42 verse, Also John 11 ch. 2 & 5 vers John 12 Ch 3d vers, John 20 8 to 18. Joseph Smith spoke upon these passages to show that Mary & Martha manifested much Closer relationship than merely a believer which looks consister. He did not think that Jesus who decended through Poligamous families from Abraham down & who fulfilled all the Law even baptism by immersion would have lived and died without being married."

- The Prophet Wilford Woodruff wrote in his journal on July 22, 1883
"I discover that some of the Eastern papers represent me as a great blasphemer, because I said, in my lecture on Marriage, at our last Conference, that Jesus Christ was married at Cana of Galilee, that Mary, Martha, and others were his wives, and that he begat children. All that I have to say in reply to that charge is this--they worship a Savior that is too pure and holy to fulfil the commands of his Father. I worship one that is just pure and holy enough 'to fulfil all righteousness;' not only the righteous law of baptism, but the still more righteous and important law 'to multiply and replenish the earth.' Startle not at this! for even the Father himself honored that law by coming down to Mary, without a natural body, and begetting a son; and if Jesus begat children, he only 'did that which he had seen his Father do.'"

- The Apostle Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 2, p. 210
"It will be borne in mind that once on a time, there was a marriage in Cans of Galilee; and on a careful reading of that transaction, it will be discovered that no less a person than Jesus Christ was married on that occasion. If he was never married, his intimacy with Mary and Martha, and the other Mary also whom Jesus loved, must have been highly unbecoming and improper to say the best of it."

- The Apostle Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, p. 259
"Heber taught, as did a few other Mormons of his day, that Christ was marriedóindeed that Christ was married to both Mary and Martha and that the famous wedding of Cana was in reality Christ's own wedding. In his own mind Heber was not only a follower of Christ, but a literal descendant. In his last public sermon, two months before his death, he said, "You do not know who Heber C. Kimball is, or you would do better."If one can accept the possibility of Christ's marriage, then such a descent is possible."

- Biography of Apostle Heber C. Kimball, p. 275
"We are not informed at what time Jesus was to be married to this kin's daughter or to any of the rest of His wives. But from what John the Baptist says, He may have been married to some of them previous to that prophets martyrdom: The passage is as follows; 'He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom: but the friend of the Bridegroom, which standeth and heareth Him, rejoiceth greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.' (John 3: 29, 30.) And again, 'Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the Bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the Bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.' (Mathew 9: 15.) John represents Jesus as already in the possession of the Bride; while the Saviour confirms what John says, by calling Himself 'the Bridegroom,' and the disciples 'the children of the Bridechamber,' but who the Bride was neither of them informs us. Whether Jesus had married any of His wives at that time or not, it is very evident that there will be a marriage of the Son of God at the time of His second coming: for Jesus said, 'The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.'"

-The Apostle Orson Pratt, The Seer, Vol.1, No.11, p. 169-p.
"Celsus was a heathen philosopher; and what does he say upon the subject of Christ and his Apostles, and their belief? He says, the 'grand reason why the Gentiles and philosophers of his school persecuted Jesus Christ, was because He had so many wives; there were Elizabeth, and Mary, and a host of others that followed Him.' After Jesus went from the stage of action, the Apostles followed the example of their master. . . The grand reason of the burst of public sentiment in anathemas upon Christ and his disciples, casing his crucifixion, was evidently based on polygamy,. . .a belief in the doctrine of plurality of wives caused the persecution of Jesus, and his followers. We might almost think they were 'Mormons.'"

- The Apostle Jedediah M. Grant, Second Counselor to Brigham Young in the First Presidency, Journal of Discourses, Vol 1. ppl 345-346
So may I respectfully suggest that before you present yourself as an authority knowledgeable in LDS doctrine....study it and do honest research. Further if you really want to understand the LDS religion go to http://bible-truth.org/MormonismPage.html and read the articles. Please begin with the first one which explains who the Mormons truly worship and who is their god. The next four articles should be of special interest to you especally the seond one.

In over twenty five years of research and intensive study I have never found any Mormon teaching to be biblical. It is a completely man-made religion devoid of biblical truth. I wrote my Master's thesis on Mormonism and have an extensive library of several thousand reference works of official LDS publications. I also have live in Utah with the Mormons since 1986.

Honestly, what you believe about the LDS church is not important, but what you believe about our real God and Creator is vital. May I also humbly and caringly suggest you read the Bible and study it because it is God's very word and it tells us His truth. Most importantly it tells how a person may come into a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus, have one's sin forgiven and receive eternal life. It tell us of the real Jesus who took upon Himself the sins of the world, mine and yours, and offers us salvation through faith without works or merit. You say you have studied many religions, why not now study God's word and learn His truth to the saving of your soul.